Halloween Countdown 2017, Day 26

Banned Books Week 2017 was last month, and during that event, Jeff Somers of Barnes and Noble shared a list of The 10 Most Frequently Challenged Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books. I was pleased to see I had read 9 of the 10. (In fact, some of these rank among my very favorite books.)

October is the perfect month to make it 10 out of 10. The book I hadn’t read? The Witches by Roald Dahl, a story of a brave young boy and his Norwegian grandmother as they battle England’s witches. Oh yes, I’m doing this! 

She might even be your lovely school-teacher who is reading these words to you at this very moment. Look carefully at that teacher. Perhaps she is smiling at the absurdity of such a suggestion. Don’t let that put you off. It could be part of cleverness.

I am not, of course, telling you for one second that your teacher actually is a witch. All I am saying is that she might be one. It is most unlikely. But–here comes the big “but”–not impossible. 

- Roald Dahl, The Witches

Listen here to an audio extract from Roald Dahl’s The Witches (Audiobook) read by Miranda Richardson.